NHS & George cross

And mine

That’s my point.

Lucca. I agree the contact was not prolonged but during initial lockdowns when shelves were often empty shop staff put up with a lot of verbal abuse and at times shoppers losing their temper and shouting up close in to their faces. Some did catch Covid and others worked longer hours to try and keep goods on the shelves for us.
We must also remember the teachers who kept schools open for essential workers and nurseries and childminders who did the same on a fairly low wage.

The trouble is re NHS that some staff are on very high salaries. Consultants on £100,000+ per annum down to cleaners on considerably less. Lots of admin and clerical staff too. All with very varied input to the Covid situation. They are not all poorly paid and I say that as one who retired from NHS (with a nice NHS pension) after 35 years.
So many other workers deserve our gratitude too.

Lucca

And I’m making the point that shop assistants were not alone in having to work.plus their contact with public was not prolonged

They had to breathe all that covid laden air, though, before it was established that it was spread by aerosols and we finally got round to mask wearing.

But really, it's not a competition, is it? Essential workers, whatever their occupation, did a brilliant job (and a significant number lost their lives).

62Granny

I worked in the NHS for nearly 30 years, so know how pushed they must have been over the last 18 months, I know a lot of people will make a big fuss of the service being awarded the George Cross but really to most of the workers if won't make the slightest difference, the very Top managers might get invited to a shindig but the coal face worker's won't get anything different. A medal to an organisation does not pay for the weekly shop in the supermarket. I think I am speaking for many today by saying a decent pay rise would have been appreciated much more.?

As a worker for the NHS for 17 years, I couldn't agree with you more. A decent salary that reflects the value of the NHS staff would be a much better way of thanking them.

And I’m making the point that shop assistants were not alone in having to work.plus their contact with public was not prolonged

Lucca It is called 'making a point'. Nothing more to add.

Those that collect the bins/recycling weren't either and I have always thought what a risk it must have been, all the germs off those different bins!

I thought the GC was just a gesture that said the Royals appreciated the NHS maybe in a way the government don't. The Queen's late husband had to spend time in an NHS hospital not long before he died, so maybe it was personal too.

I think it's such a shame we are going to lose it. I don't know how we will pay for private healthcare

love0c

Find it somewhat odd really. I have and still feel for all the shop assistants that were told to go to work. Yet everyone else was told to stay home and stay in as there was a deadly virus outside!

Teachers weren’t. Postmen weren’t.

Find it somewhat odd really. I have and still feel for all the shop assistants that were told to go to work. Yet everyone else was told to stay home and stay in as there was a deadly virus outside!

NHS workers have had secure employment in a way that so many others have not. There is more to the whole covid situation than applauding medical and nursing staff.

emmasnan

Will all the supermarket workers and delivery drivers etc also be getting this. They were facing hundreds of people weekly and we would never have managed had they not done this.

So you could equally say what about postmen teachers binmen bus drivers and so on. That’s not the point.so many NHS workers were involved much more closely with Covid patients as opposed to transitory contact with the general public who might or might not have had Covid.

Oh, for goodness sake!
I should read the thread

Autocorrect, adverts.
Is it worth posting?

I see Aveline has already posted that.
I should try.

Maltese flag

Luckygirl

I think the whole idea of an organisation getting a medal is really silly.

Well, Malta was awarded the George Cross, so if a country can then why not an organisation?
It is depicted in the Maktese flag.

My daughter and her husband, both doctors, have gone to New Zealand to work. They were fed up of the shabby way the NHS workers were treated and fed up of the shabby way some patients treated them.

Will all the supermarket workers and delivery drivers etc also be getting this. They were facing hundreds of people weekly and we would never have managed had they not done this.

Franbern

It is just disgusting that Nurses and other NHS workers have been offered a measly 1 per cent increase, which does not even bring their salaries up to what is was prior to austerity.

Who cares if it is Queenie or Johnson who came up with this idea of the George Medal - will be of no assistance to the people working in the service.

So NHS (George Medal), will still be largely privatised by this government and cease to exist.

Totally agree.

My dd is wondering if she can now put GC after her name - Dr A Donim GC.

I agree with your post Aveline. As Callistemon has posted, this is coming from the Queen and has nothing to do with the government.

I'm sure if there are any NHS staff who feel insulted by what IMO is a lovely gesture, they can refuse to accept it.

I think the whole idea of an organisation getting a medal is really silly.

The island of Malta was given the George Cross after the last war. It's symbolic.
I'm retired from NHS. I know it's contentious to say this but lots of NHS staff were not at the 'coal face' of Covid. Non NHS home carers had to work very hard indeed in difficult circumstances. Many involved in keeping our food supplies going and in direct facing shop jobs worked hard too. Others didn't have the security of government jobs and lost their jobs altogether . People's long established family businesses went under. I'm not saying don't give NHS staff but just be aware of the millions of others who had a difficult time too.

It is just disgusting that Nurses and other NHS workers have been offered a measly 1 per cent increase, which does not even bring their salaries up to what is was prior to austerity.

Who cares if it is Queenie or Johnson who came up with this idea of the George Medal - will be of no assistance to the people working in the service.

So NHS (George Medal), will still be largely privatised by this government and cease to exist.